Origin: Germanic
Old English prefix
Overrun has 8 different meanings across 2 categories:
Noun
· Verb
Noun
1
too much production or more than expected
"The factory struggled to ship orders because last month's production of widgets had been overrun by a sudden spike in demand."
2
An instance of overrunning.
"The sudden influx of tourists turned our quiet coastal village into an overrun destination during the summer holidays."
Verb
1
invade in great numbers
"the roaches infested our kitchen"
2
occupy in large numbers or live on a host
"the Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North"
3
flow or run over (a limit or brim)
"The cup was so full that when I added the last drop of milk, it immediately overflowed and ran down my arm."
4
seize the position of and defeat
"the Crusaders overran much of the Holy Land"
5
run beyond or past
"The plane overran the runway"
6
To defeat an enemy and invade in great numbers, seizing the enemy positions conclusively.
"The allied forces managed to overrun the fortified city within hours of launching their surprise attack."
Example Sentences
"the roaches infested our kitchen"
verb
"the Kudzu plant infests much of the South and is spreading to the North"
verb
"the Crusaders overran much of the Holy Land"
verb
"The plane overran the runway"
verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
Origin
Overrun comes from combining the prefix over- with the verb run. It originally meant to run over or across something.